Georg Trakl was born into a protestant family in Salzburg on 3rd February 1887. His mother was depressed throughout his childhood and Trakl showed similar signs of emotional instability, often withdrawing from his friends and family.

Trakl was not very successful at school, at one point having to re-take a year. This was due in part to his drug addictions. As well as drinking heavily, he also took opium and even chloroform. He eventually dropped out of school and
became a pharmacist's appr..